Unheralded Knox off to fast start

The fifth-round draft pick out of Division II Abilene Christian is the first Bear rookie to top 500 yards receiving since first-round pick Willie Gault 26 years ago.

“I’ve accomplished some goals,” said Knox, who has 45 catches for 527 yards with two games to play. “As far as wins, those goals weren’t accomplished, but from a personal standpoint, I feel real good about how the season has gone.”

Next to quarterback, receiver is supposed to be the toughest position for a rookie to play. It’s certainly been that way on the Bears, who have used 13 picks in the top three rounds on receivers in the last 25 years without having a single one of them reach 500 yards. Knox has twice as many receiving yards as the past three rookie Bear receivers drafted in the top three rounds combined (Juan Iglesias, Earl Bennett and Mark Bradley). And he did it from the very start, with 82 and 70 receiving yards in his first two games.

Yet eight losses in the past 10 games make it hard for Knox to celebrate anything.

“It’s been round,” Knox said. “We’re just trying to fight adversity. It’s been tough for us, dealing with these losses. Getting a win, then losing again. It’s now what we expect, but that’s how it is sometimes.”

Harlon Hill, for whom the Division II version of the Heisman Trophy is named, and Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka are the only two Bear rookies with 1,000 receiving yards. Knox has no chance of that. Or even of catching Gault (836 yards) at No. 3. And that’s not his goal.

Knox, who has the second-longest kickoff return in Bears history (102 yards), wants to succeed Danieal Manning as the NFL kick return leader. He currently stands second with a 28.9-yard average, close behind Tampa Bay’s Clifton Smith (29.1).

“That’s a big part of what we do here, special teams,” said Knox, who has three returns of more than 50 yards. “Leading the league is good. That’s what I’m focusing on right now as an all-around player.”

His main role, though, is as a receiver. And he’s just getting started. His numbers this year are great for a rookie. Next year, he thinks they’ll be good for any receiver of any age.

“I will feel a lot more comfortable next year,” Knox said. “I feel I can contribute a lot more, because I will know what’s going on in the playbook and throughout the team.”